


Actor

by Cloverthirteen



Series: Circus bug ficlets [2]
Category: A Bug's Life (1998)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, there's a bit of gypsy too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23825062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloverthirteen/pseuds/Cloverthirteen
Summary: Being an actor was Heimlich’s dream job, especially in the circus where he got to be a clown. For a while, he got to dress up in a costume and pretend he was someone else.
Series: Circus bug ficlets [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1716649
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Actor

**Author's Note:**

> It's a shame that so many of the circus bugs were shafted on characterization, Heimlich especially.

Heimlich looked over his costume one more time. As a performer, he had worn a lot of different costumes, but this one had to be one of his favorites. A screw stuck into a yellow cap for a stinger, with two leaves as wings--he would look just like a bumblebee.

Being an actor was Heimlich’s dream job, especially in the circus where he got to be a clown. For a while, he got to dress up in a costume and pretend he was someone else. He could be a brave warrior, or a beautiful princess, or even a cute little bumblebee. Whatever fit the sketches that P.T. Flea set up. Heimlich sometimes heard his fellow clowns Francis and Slim complain about their job, which he had never personally understood. Aside from Slim being constantly typecasted, being a lighthearted actor was just pure fun in his eyes. Francis and Slim both knew that Heimlich enjoyed his job much more than they did, and they joked about it sometimes, but that never hindered their friendship with the cheerful caterpillar.

Though, Heimlich remembered, it was different when they first met. He hadn’t known them very well when he had joined, and his passion for his job clearly seemed unusual to them. Heimlich could still remember overhearing Francis on one occasion, telling Slim that the caterpillar’s enthusiasm for his role as a clown was probably the only reason P.T. kept him in the circus.

Of course, that was a long time ago, and Heimlich had gotten much closer to the two since then...but even thinking about it now, it made his heart sink a little. He would wonder, every once in a while, if that was still true.

No, of course not. He had improved as an actor during those last couple seasons, right?

The performers’ dressing room was a bit on the smaller side, and despite Heimlich being the only one in the room, it was feeling even more cramped at the moment. He decided to take a step outside.

Out back behind the circus tent was where Gypsy and Manny prepared for their performances, where a small tent was formed by four playing cards leaning against each other. Two mirrors were present in the area; one in the small tent, and the other off to the side. It was sort of like a personal, outdoor dressing room for them both. Manny had specifically requested extra accommodations for him and, later, his wife when he had joined the troupe, citing the need for “mental and spiritual tranquility”. Gypsy eventually clarified it to the others by saying that he mostly had trouble concentrating when too many people were around. The other insects suspected that P.T. Flea had provided said accommodations only due to the prestige that a performer like Manny would bring to him, given P.T’s comparative lack of benevolence towards any of his other performers.

Heimlich absentmindedly wandered around to the back of the circus tent where Gypsy was getting ready. She didn’t wear costumes, but she did need to put on makeup and prime her wings and antennae. She was right in the middle of doing her mascara when she noticed Heimlich strolling sulkily by the circus tent in her mirror.

“Heimlich, what are you doing here?” she asked without turning around, making Heimlich jump. “This isn’t your dressing room. Is something wrong?”

“Sorry,” Heimlich muttered, which wasn’t really a response to either of Gypsy’s questions. At a loss for what to say to her further, he decided to ask the question that had been forming in his mind.

“Do you think I’m a bad actor?”

Gypsy froze for a moment, then took a second to collect herself and put down her mascara. She turned to face the frowning caterpillar, a slightly bemused look in her eyes. “Wh- why would you think that, Heimlich?”

“Do you?”

Gypsy sighed sadly. “Well...no, certainly not currently. To be honest...when you first started out here, I didn’t think you had the most in terms of talent. But you did have something that the other performers didn’t, and that was an unabashed passion for the roles you played.”

Heimlich looked aside. It was just what he had expected to hear from Gypsy.

“I’m not finished, dear,” she continued. “I do remember hearing, well...thoughtless comments from some of the others. Honestly, some of what I heard was just insensitive, especially considering the little choice  _ you  _ had in joining us, considering, well, your whole situation…”

Through his clouded thoughts, Heimlich thought about his family, now at least a mile away. He thought about the circus bugs. Even given everything he had heard from the troupe those couple of seasons ago, he knew who he would pick over the other.

“And yet, despite all that you were going through...you always gave it your all during performances. You still do. Talent-wise, I know that you’ve definitely improved. And I can’t vouch for anyone else, but...I’m sure that if you asked the others, they would agree.”

Heimlich thought about his last performance a week ago. It...hadn’t gone well, to say the least. But that wasn’t so much his or the other clowns’ faults as much as the firefly who had fallen asleep halfway through the performance, letting his tail light flicker off and falling off the support pole at the top of the tent, crashing into Slim. Needless to say, the act was pretty much ruined, in part by everyone, including the audience, panicking in the darkness and bailing. But Heimlich, Slim, and Francis had had a pretty good laugh about it later.

_ “You know, if our acting doesn’t bring this circus down, our ability to handle a crisis certainly will…” _

“Um...the reason I asked you…” Heimlich admitted to Gypsy at last, “Well...I don’t think Slim and Francis insult my acting skills anymore…”

Gypsy smiled gently. “Is that what it was about? I had a guess that those two might have had something to do with it. They can be a bit careless in what they say on occasion. But, no, I haven’t heard anything of that nature for a while, from them or anyone else.”

Heimlich gave a shy smile in response. “They’re my friends. They-- they mean well, I know that now.”

“Of course,” Gypsy chuckled. “Even when they don’t show it, they do care about you. Everyone here does, dear.”

Heimlich was about to respond when Slim arrived from the other side of the circus tent. “Oh, there you are, Heimlich. I was looking for you--P.T. wants us to run through the sketch one more time before we open,  _ with  _ costumes…” He sighed. “If you’re busy, I can try to stall him for a little longer…”

“No, no, it’s fine! I’m coming!” Heimlich exclaimed, rushing over. “Thanks!” he stage-whispered to Gypsy before following Slim back into the tent. He was in a much better mood now, ambling along beside his friend.

_ Everyone here cares about you, dear. _

_ I know. _


End file.
